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Weather
Continued from Page 1A
to February storms that impacted the
north but not the southern half of the
state.
Snowpack in the Cascade Mountains
from Mount Hood to the Three Sisters
and Diamond Peak is 123 to 135 percent
of normal, and it’s even better in the
mountains of northeast Oregon.
“The good part about March was that
even though it was dry, it was still fairly
cool so the snowpack isn’t rapidly melt-
ing off,” Bryant said.
Precipitation across the north isn’t
too bad either. Since Oct. 1 — the start of
the water year — Salem has gotten 29.9
inches of rain, which is just below the
normal of 31.6 inches.
The problem is that most of that rain
fell during the winter, and the spring has
been dry so far. March recorded about
half the rainfall it normally would in Sa-
lem. April has also started out dry and
remains likely to stay that way.
That’s led to Willamette Valley reser-
voirs such as Detroit Lake, which relies
on spring rainfall, being pretty far below
where they should be this time of year.
Detroit Lake is currently 1,522 feet
above sea level, while it should be
around 1,544 feet.
That can impact everything from rec-
reation to streamflow to irrigation in the
Santiam Canyon.
“As it stands, we’re looking at an in-
sufficient water year,” said Tom Con-
ning, spokesman for the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, which manages 13
reservoirs in the Willamette Valley.
“Forecasted rain in March and April
didn’t materialize. We need steady pre-
cipitation up to June to have a good wa-
ter year.”
The snowpack is decent, at 124% but
only really helps us out in keeping reser-
voir elevations up in the summer as the
snowmelt, if it lasts, matches outflows.
We’re working regularly with our feder-
al, state and local partners to inform our
decisions. We’re holding weekly meet-
ings and reduced mainstem flows for
the first week of April.
In general, this year isn’t looking too
bad across northern Oregon. But if dry
conditions continue, it will mean the
forest below snow level dries out earlier
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021
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3A
in the season than it should, building up
the possibility for increased wildfire
danger.
Currently, above-normal wildfire
danger is projected for Central and
South central Oregon in June and July,
while the rest of the state is classified as
normal.
“Overall, we’re in much better shape
in northwest Oregon the rest of the
state,” Bryant said. “But it’s something
we have to watch.”
Zach Urness has been an outdoors re-
porter, photographer and videographer
in Oregon for 13 years. To support his
work, subscribe to the Statesman Jour-
nal. Urness can be reached at zur-
ness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503)
399-6801. Find him on Twitter at
@ZachsORoutdoors.
Levies
Continued from Page 1A
Ballots in Marion County are sched-
uled to be mailed April 28 for the May 18
election.
Stayton’s recreation levy, for parks
and pools, asks property owners to pay
50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value
for five years to raise a total of
$1,359,927. A separate library levy is
asking for 40 cents per $1,000 of as-
sessed value for five years to raise a total
of $1,699,909.
In the past two elections, Stayton
had a 70 cents per $1,000 levy fail 52%
to 47% and a 65 cents per $1,000 fail by a
50% to 49% margin. The current four-
year operations levy, which taxes prop-
erty owners at 60 cents per $1,000, ex-
pires June 30.
The Stayton Public Library has been
closed to patrons since March 2020,
though it has offered curbside pickup
and remote services since the start of
the pandemic.
Stayton City Manager Keith Camp-
bell said after the levy failed in Novem-
ber, the library laid off three staff mem-
bers and limited work hours for two
more, cut 15 hours of operation per week
and stopped buying new books and oth-
er library materials.
If the library levy fails, the library will
make more staff cuts and some pro-
grams will be eliminated.
“I don’t think people would under-
stand the value of these things until
they’re gone,” said Lauren Mulligan, a
member of the Keep Stayton Livable
PAC.
For years, the Kiwanis Club of Stay-
ton has offered low-cost swim lessons
at the pool. There also have been pro-
grams to teach children in nearby ele-
mentary schools to swim at no cost.
With the pool in Stayton closed, the
closest venues swimmers have are in
Salem and Silverton. That would be per-
manent if the levy fails.
“It would be a huge loss for the com-
munity if they were forced to close,” Wa-
gar said.
Cascade School District
The district, which serves students
in Turner, Aumsville and surrounding
areas, has an ambitious $56.4 million
bond on the ballot.
It is asking voters to approve a 92
cents per $1,000 increase in property
taxes, which would raise the total to
$2.13 per $1,000 with a previous bond
from 2005. When the previous bond is
paid off in 2026, the new bond will con-
tinue at the $2.13 per $1,000 rate
through 2045.
The district has been awarded a $4
million grant from the state to make
building improvements, but it will lose
that money if a new bond is not ap-
proved by voters.
The Cascade School District is the
fastest-growing rural school district in
the state.
The district has grown to 2,500 chil-
dren, up from 2,100 in the 2014-2015
A possible site of new classrooms, if the levy passes, at Turner Elementary School in Turner, Oregon on March 30.
BRIAN HAYES/STATESMAN JOURNAL
at a time.
“We either stay running behind for
years to come or we get ahead of it,” Drill
said. “It’s not like we’re saying we need a
whole brand new high school. We’re
saying each one of these areas needs
something.”
Lyons-Mehama Water District
If the library levy fails, the Stayton
Public Library will make more staff
cuts and eliminate some programs.
JANNA MOSER/SPECIAL TO THE STAYTON MAIL
school year. It was one of the few to not
experience a significant enrollment
drop during the pandemic. And as new
housing continues to be built at a fast
pace in Turner and Aumsville, it is fac-
ing capacity limits.
While it previously welcomed stu-
dents from other districts, most of the
schools have had to put caps on the size
of classes.
“I attribute it to how well we’re do-
ing,” Cascade Superintendent Darin
Drill said. “Matt (Thatcher) is the Ore-
gon High School Principal of the Year
this year. We have a 93% graduation
rate, 94% last year. We cracked the top
10. Our on-track rate is way high, 97%.”
The 2005 bond funded improve-
ments at nearly every school in the dis-
trict, including building a new gym and
weight room at Cascade High School.
If this bond is passed, it would build
10 new classrooms in Aumsville Ele-
mentary, six at Turner Elementary, six
at Cloverdale Elementary, four at Cas-
cade Junior High and four at Cascade
High School.
It would also fund improvements to
existing buildings, including security
entrances and cameras, fire safety sys-
tems, air quality improvements, ex-
panded vocational learning spaces, up-
grades to the technology infrastructure,
updates to the electrical and HVAC sys-
tems, and replacing or repairing roofs,
plumbing and flooring.
If the new bond fails, the district will
have to stretch its maintenance budget
and increase capacity one portable unit
For years, the district has been trying
to find funding to replace its aging infra-
structure.
One of the old water storage tanks,
which was made of wood, leaked and
was taken out of use. There are still
wood water distribution pipes in some
locations in the district.
The district, which has about 880
customers between Marion (Mehama)
and Linn (Lyons) counties, is asking
voters to pass a bond for $1.10 per $1,000
of assessed value for 31 years.
That would fund $5,260,000 in
bonds to replace its reservoirs, includ-
A HA
R
ing a 1.3 million gallon tank, fund site
improvements and replace aging water
mains for water delivery.
“We’re getting to the point where
we’re just about at a crisis on our water,”
said Dick Voltin, board chair of the dis-
trict. “Everybody thinks they move in
here and we’ve got cheap water. When
you look at it, people are paying more for
their smartphones than their water
bills.
“We haven’t done any maintenance
for 20 years on our water system.”
The district asked for a $1.15 per
$1,000 of assessed value bond in 2019,
but that failed 54% to 45%. In 2020, $3
million in grant money was earmarked
for the district by the Oregon Legisla-
ture, but the bill it was attached to died
with the Republican walkout.
So now it’s back to asking voters for
money again this year.
During September’s wildfires, some
See LEVIES, Page 4A
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